CH 5

The High-End Talent Community associated with the Science and Technology Park will officially open for sale this Saturday. Zheng Baozhu has been paying attention to this property since its construction started. Unlike many developers who start pre-selling as soon as the buildings reach ground level, this property waited until the roof was completed before preparing for the opening.

The houses in the High-End Talent Community were all beautifully designed and had spacious layouts. Zheng Baozhu watched as they were gradually constructed, and now that the opening is approaching, she felt like she must go and join in the excitement. The sales office for the property was also completed in the past two months, and it could be seen that people occasionally went there for inquiries. The location of the sales office is near Starlight Park. Zheng Baozhu changed into flat shoes, started the car smoothly from the garage, and drove out like a sparkling ruby.

Since today was not the official opening day, there weren't many people at the sales office. After parking her car, Zheng Baozhu changed back into high heels and carried her bag as she walked out.

The nearest salesperson at the entrance greeted her, "Hello, how may I assist you, Miss?"

Zheng Baozhu glanced at the person who appeared to be around her age, dressed in a uniform with neatly tied-up hair, giving off a capable and professional aura. She smiled and stopped, saying, "I heard that the opening is scheduled for this Saturday, I'm here to learn more about the property."

Curious, she looked towards the center of the sales office where the sand table was located. Seeing her interest, the salesperson directly led her there.

In addition to the informal name [High-End Talent Community], this property also had an official name, Jin Yu Man Tang1. Zheng Baozhu thought the name was cleverly chosen. It not only conveys the abundance of knowledge but also suggests immense wealth.

It sounded bright and shiny, and she liked it.

The community was beautifully constructed. Based on what she saw from the sand table, there were a total of twelve buildings arranged with careful consideration, ensuring that no building blocked another, and the spacing between them was generous, with a low plot ratio. Most importantly, the location of this property was exceptional, adjacent to Starlight Park. Standing on the high-level platform, one could view a large part of Starlight Park.

It was clear that the government was truly determined to attract talent.

"I heard that an invitation letter is required now for eligibility to purchase, is that correct?" Zheng Baozhu asked, finding it interesting that while other properties were based on lottery numbers, this one relied on educational qualifications.

Who says studying is useless?

The salesperson nodded and explained, "The first phase is mainly open to individuals who meet the high-end talent policy requirements. However, we will have a second phase later, which will be available to the general public. If you're interested, you can register with us, and we will notify you when there's further information."

"Oh..." Zheng Baozhu pondered for a moment and nodded, "So there's a second phase as well? But isn't the second phase just what others have left behind?"

The salesperson smiled and said, "It's not accurate to put it that way. Buying a house is like choosing between radishes and greens; everyone has their preferences. What others like may not necessarily be what you like. The key is to find what suits you, don't you agree?"

Zheng Baozhu blinked, "You truly live up to being a property consultant. You have excellent eloquence. I envy your boss for having an employee like you."

"You're too kind," the salesperson modestly replied and invited her to sit on the nearby sofa, "Please fill out this form."

"Alright," Zheng Baozhu took the pen and began filling out the information. In addition to basic details, the form also required occupation and annual income. It was only missing a bank statement.

"Um, may I ask, is this form subject to review?" Zheng Baozhu raised her gaze and looked at the salesperson beside her, "Is qualification for purchasing the second phase contingent on passing the review?"

The salesperson smiled and said, "We are simply gathering basic information about our customers and, of course, conducting a simple screening. After all, the residents here are of a higher level. Like entrepreneurs such as yourself, you certainly have the qualifications."

Zheng Baozhu liked the title "entrepreneur" given to her by the sales consultant. After completing the form and receiving a copy of the property information, she left the sales office in her car. When she returned to the hotel, she realized it was almost lunchtime, so she went directly to the restaurant. During peak hours, the hotel would deliver two dishes to her room, but during the low season, she preferred to dine in person.

As she entered the Chinese restaurant, Zheng Baozhu chose a seat by the window. This row of seats by the floor-to-ceiling windows was adjacent to the hotel garden, which was meticulously maintained throughout the year, creating a beautiful landscape. Usually, these seats needed to be reserved in advance, even for Zheng Baozhu, who visited the restaurant only a few times a year.

Shortly after the dishes she ordered arrived, Qu Zhi and Qi Sheng also walked in.

They came for lunch. Although they could order takeout in the Science and Technology Park, Qi Sheng had heard that the farmhouse stir-fry at Zheng Baozhu's hotel was famous, so he persuaded Qu Zhi to come over for lunch.

"I see that you're not here for the stir-fry; you just want to meet Zheng Baozhu, don't you?" Qu Zhi saw through Qi Sheng's little scheme.

"I want both, of course." Qi Sheng looked at Qu Zhi with a smile, "I did some research. This restaurant is only open to the public during the off-peak season. If it were the regular season, you wouldn't be able to eat here even if you wanted to."

What Qi Sheng said was true. The Chinese restaurant in Zheng Baozhu's hotel was popular. Normally, they were busy accommodating tour groups and hotel guests, so they didn't accept other individual orders. During the off-peak season, the restaurant wasn't as busy and would be open to the public, but most customers preferred takeout, and only a few came to dine in person.

After hearing Qi Sheng's words, Qu Zhi looked at him and chuckled, "I live here, so I could just come down to eat by using my room key."

Qi Sheng: "..."

F**k! He fell into his trap again.

"Mr. Qu, are you here for lunch?" Liang Huihui noticed Qu Zhi entering and warmly greeted him, "Is this your friend?"

"Yes, that's right. Hello," Qi Sheng greeted Liang Huihui in a casual manner, then turned his head and saw Zheng Baozhu sitting by the window.

"Qu Zhi!" He quickly grabbed Qu Zhi, his eyes fixed on Zheng Baozhu's direction with excitement, "Is that the beautiful Zheng Baozhu sitting by the window?"

Qu Zhi followed his gaze and also saw Zheng Baozhu. She was dressed the same as in the morning, with her hair pinned to the left side, shining pearl earrings dangling from her ears, and her hairpin and sparkling diamond on her fingertips, creating a brilliant and dazzling appearance.

Qu Zhi even felt that she deliberately chose to sit by the window to let her hairpin and nails catch the light and shine even more.

"Yes, she is," he replied nonchalantly to Qi Sheng, then said to the nearby Liang Huihui, "Isn't she easily recognizable? Doesn't she look exactly like 'Xiu Xiu'?"

Qi Sheng: "..."

Something seemed off, yet nothing seemed wrong.

Liang Huihui was also puzzled for a moment, "Xiu Xiu? Is that the magical character from the movie?"

Perhaps sensing their gaze, Zheng Baozhu also looked up and noticed Qu Zhi standing at the entrance. He was accompanied by another person, slightly shorter but fair-looking. Judging by the employee ID card hanging around his neck, he should be Qu Zhi's colleague.

Qi Sheng pulled Qu Zhi over and approached them. As they got closer, Qi Sheng found Zheng Baozhu even more radiant, "Hello, you must be Qu Zhi's childhood friend Zheng Baozhu, right? You are indeed as beautiful as he described!"

Zheng Baozhu initially wanted to refute the term "childhood friend", but she realized the biggest glaring point in his statement was elsewhere, "What? He complimented me for being beautiful?" Zheng Baozhu glanced at Qu Zhi, who stood beside her, "Why do I find it hard to believe?"

Qu Zhi glanced at Qi Sheng and told Zheng Baozhu, "Because my original comment was 'all show and no substance'."

Qi Sheng: "..."

Qi Sheng felt that Qu Zhi's attractive face was the only reason he could survive to this age.

Fortunately, Zheng Baozhu didn't confront them on the spot. She simply nodded gently, understanding the situation, and replied, "Oh, so he did indeed compliment my appearance."

"...Right!" Qi Sheng suddenly felt relieved and casually sat down across from Zheng Baozhu, "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Qu Zhi's colleague, Qi Sheng."

Zheng Baozhu praised, "A victorious start, a good name."

"You're praising me too much," Qi Sheng chuckled innocently, "It's because my father's surname is Qi and my mother's surname is Sheng."

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

This is what they mean by "high-quality ingredients often only need simple cooking methods", right?

"By the way, since we've bumped into each other, can we eat together?" Qi Sheng asked with a beaming smile.

Zheng Baozhu glanced at Qu Zhi and nodded, saying, "Sure, but the dishes I ordered may not be enough. You can order a few more that you like."

"Got it!" Qi Sheng pulled Qu Zhi, who was still standing there, to sit down. Liang Huihui handed them the menu. Qi Sheng ordered several signature dishes and eagerly waited to eat.

On the opposite side, Zheng Baozhu seemed to remember something and hesitated before mentioning, "Tong Tong said she wants to organize a welcoming dinner for you. It will be held here. Do you have time tonight?"

Cen Tongtong is a mutual friend of Zheng Baozhu and Qu Zhi. The three of them lived in the same residential complex when they grew up. Although Cen Tongtong didn't attend the same school as Zheng Baozhu and Qu Zhi attended, they still grew up together as childhood friends.

Tongtong had mentioned the dinner to Qu Zhi earlier in the morning, but Qu Zhi was busy at the time and didn't reply.

After thinking for a moment, Qu Zhi nodded and said, "I can make it."

"Great, I'll let her know then," Zheng Baozhu scooped a few spoonfuls of soup into her small bowl, "Meng Yaxin also knows about this. She will come tonight as well."

"Meng Yaxin?" Qu Zhi looked up at Zheng Baozhu. Meng Yaxin was their high school classmate and was close to Zheng Baozhu during their studies, "You and Meng Yaxin are still in touch?"

"Good friends?" Qu Zhi chuckled and looked at Zheng Baozhu, "Does Meng Yaxin knows you're friends with her because she has three 'jins'2 in her name?"

Zheng Baozhu: "............"